Our Editors' Picks for the World’s Most Romantic Getaways

In “Travel Takes,” Getaways staffers share their personal opinions about the world’s best, worst, and most debated travel destinations. This week’s question: Where are the most romantic getaways in the world?

What's your favorite romantic getaway? Tell us in the comments below.

Charleston, South Carolina | Andy Seifert, Senior Editor

What constitutes “romantic cities”? If it’s a peaceful waterfront settings, horse-drawn carriage rides, and a culinary scene worthy of a candlelight dinner, then I like Charleston, South Carolina, where taking a romantic carriage ride is practically a tourist rite of passage. Charleston might be America’s most historic setting, with Federal- and Georgian-style mansions, original cobblestone streets, and churches that predate the Revolutionary War. When you’re here, it’s easy to become convinced that your romance is as timeless as the palmetto trees lining the pathways. As a bonus, the Lowcountry cuisine—buttermilk biscuits, fried chicken, and shrimp ‘n grits—is a far better aphrodisiac than chocolate.

Andy Seifert is a travel editor. He has written for The A.V. Club and NewCity magazine.

Prague, Czech Republic | Molly Metzig, Senior Editor

Prague feels so intimate it’s like you’re being embraced as you walk the streets. This is especially true in Old Town, a tight patchwork of colorful buildings and archways on the east side of the Vltava river. Few roads stay straight for long, so be prepared to get a little lost—preferably during a nighttime walk to the riverbank, where you can see Prague Castle lit up in the distance. If that isn’t sufficiently romantic, go to the top of Letná hill. Here, the whole city comes into view: bridges spanning the river, church domes and spires rising into the sky, and red, white, and blue Czech flags fluttering in the breeze. I’d never seen a picture taken from this spot (in contrast to the familiar vistas of Paris and Rome) and that made all the difference.

Molly has been to 10 countries, but her favorite trip is a good old American drive up the Pacific Coast Highway.

Buenos Aires, Argentina | Zac Thompson, Editor

Buenos Aires is sometimes called the “Paris of South America” for its wide, leafy boulevards, cosmopolitan spirit, and elegant cultural offerings. Another thing the two cities have in common: each one is no slouch in the romance department. I don’t have to make the case for Paris; about a million movies, books, songs, and paintings have done the job already. But Buenos Aires gives its European counterpart a run for its money when it comes to getting visitors in the mood for love, not only because of its dreamy architecture, picnic-friendly parks, and intimate restaurants serving Argentine beef and malbecs, but also because it’s the hometown of the world’s sexiest dance—the tango. Spend some time in one of the city’s milongas filled with locals slinking and snaking across the floor, and I dare you not to get hot under the collar.

Zac is a writer living in Chicago. His favorite trips ever were to Istanbul, Paris, Argentina, and the Irish countryside. He will do anything Rick Steves tells him to do. Anything.

Fort Payne, Alabama | Rashawn Mitchner, Editor

Rural Alabama may not sound like one of the world’s most romantic getaways, but the scenery is gorgeous thanks to the nearby Appalachian Mountains. Little River Canyon National Preserve is perfect for people (like me) who enjoy great views of nature but aren’t up for the sort of hiking it usually takes to get to them. The park’s 11-mile scenic drive winds through a hilly forest, offering several lookouts where you can see waterfalls tumbling over cliffs and the river cutting through the canyon. The area around Fort Payne is dotted with homey log cabins like the one we stayed in on a secluded 200-acre farm. All we heard from our porch were crickets. And bleating goats. The farm had a lot of goats.

Rashawn, an editor, hopes to eventually pack her Kindle and trail mix for a trip that requires a passport. For now, she visits US cities with microbreweries and nice views.

Cinque Terre, Italy | Ian Hicks, Editor

A quaint, romantic charm pervades Cinque Terre, a confederation of five neighboring villages on the breathtaking Italian Riviera. Multicolored rows of tiered buildings and lush vineyards line the coastal hillsides, which are populated with townspeople and business owners who go out of their way to be hospitable. Our hotel manager, for instance, furnished his terraced patio with complimentary jugs of wine, setting the stage for moonlit discussions about life, love, trips to IKEA, and whatever else couples talk about. After nursing hangovers with real-deal espresso in the morning, twosomes can work up a sweat hiking the forested, cliffside trails that connect the five towns, before grabbing a romantic bite at a seaside trattoria. Of course, you can always throw your itinerary to the wind and just lay out on one of the so-gorgeous-they-look-fake beaches dotting the area, too.

Born and raised in the Midwest, Ian has both an affection for and an intense hatred of the cold. Though he enjoys traveling, he kinda hates to leave his three dumb cats alone for too long.

Saint Lucia | Shelby Kimbrough, Deputy Managing Editor

Paris, Rome, Barcelona. Beguiling cities of romance? More like crowded cities of crowds. I don’t know about you, but I prefer my romance with a side of intimacy. Which is why I find the Caribbean island of St. Lucia so enchanting. Sure it’s beautiful, with mountainous rainforest and soft, sandy beaches that disappear beneath turquoise waves. But more important, it’s quiet. You can easily stroll hand-in-hand on the beach or explore Castries, the capital city, without having to elbow your way through throngs of tourists. Even the country’s most iconic landmarks—two volcanic plugs known as the Pitons—aren’t jam-packed with hikers vying for a photo op. You will, however, find dense clusters of ferns and wild orchids, and it’s not uncommon to feel as though you have the entire trail to yourself. Très romantique!

Before becoming a travel writer, Shelby lived and traveled in the Caribbean for 2.5 years with the Peace Corps. She once ate a raw sea urchin right from the ocean.

Monterey, California | Tyler Clark, Editor

First, a confession: when I traveled to Monterey, California, it was under the decidedly unromantic circumstances of a 30th-birthday road trip with my best dudes from high school. Even we couldn't deny the enchantment, though, as we watched the sunset from a rooftop bar. Part of the town's charm is literary; it was the setting for John Steinbeck's Cannery Row, and we spent a couple hours seeking out the book's settings. The morning we left, we took an early walk to the marina, where a chorus of gulls and sea lions (dubbed the “Monterey Symphony" by my friend Drew) accompanied elderly fishermen getting a jump on the day's catches. Later, we found a statue of marine biologist and Steinbeck pal Ed Ricketts. Maybe it was the smell of the surf or the bougainvillea blossom someone had placed in Ricketts’s hand, but I felt love in that moment—both for the guys I was with and the absent friends who couldn’t make the trip.

Tyler is a writer, storyteller, and musician from Chicago. His stories have appeared on stage at shows including Mortified, Story Club, and Lethal Poetry.

Iceland | Sarah Gorr, Editor

My trip to Iceland came unexpectedly (for me at least) on the heels of my engagement, and I can't think of anywhere I'd rather have celebrated such a romantic moment. Though we flew into Reykjavik and found the capital city full of charm, it was our journey along the Ring Road that stole my heart. We were traveling in the off season of early fall, and I can't count how many times we were utterly alone. As we trekked across glaciers, hiked along the seaside, and rode horses through sun-kissed fields against a mountainous backdrop, it always seemed to be just the two of us. The scenery was otherworldly and to experience it together without busloads of tourists or the chaos of a metropolis was unforgettable. In Iceland, you can leave everything behind. Then all that's left is you and the one you love (literally) on top of the world.

Sarah is a writer, book lover, and dog petter who’s hiked the Inca Trail, chased the northern lights, and fallen into the Mediterranean Sea. She's forever planning her next (mis)adventure.

Photos of Little River Canyon National Preserve and Iceland courtesy of Joseph Wesley and Sarah Gorr, respectively.